The Art of Unbiased Feedback: Elevating Your Agency Collaboration

In the dynamic world of design and branding, the relationship between client and agency is a delicate dance of vision, expertise, and collaboration. At Obsessed agency, we’ve seen firsthand how the quality of feedback can make or break a project. But how can you, as a client, ensure that your input is constructive, unbiased, and truly beneficial to the end result? Let’s explore some strategies and exercises to help you become a master of feedback, elevating your agency collaborations to new heights.

The Bias Blindspot

We all have biases – it’s part of being human. However, when it comes to design feedback, personal preferences can sometimes cloud our judgment. Take, for example, a recent project we undertook at Obsessed agency. A client came to us with a strong aversion to the color green, insisting it be avoided in their brand refresh. However, our research showed that green was not only on-trend in their industry but also resonated strongly with their target audience.

This scenario highlights a common challenge: distinguishing between personal taste and strategic design decisions. So, how can you, as a client, navigate this tricky terrain?

Exercise 1: The “Why” Behind the Reaction

Before providing feedback, pause and ask yourself:

  1. What is my immediate reaction to this design?
  2. Why am I having this reaction?
  3. Is this reaction based on personal preference or brand strategy?
  4. How does this design align with our brand goals and target audience?

You can separate personal biases from strategic considerations by interrogating your initial reactions.

The Taste Conundrum

It’s natural to believe that your company has better taste than the agency you’ve hired. After all, you know your brand intimately. However, it’s crucial to remember that agencies bring a wealth of experience across various industries and trends. At Obsessed agency, we’ve found that the most successful projects arise when clients trust our expertise while providing clear, strategic input.

Exercise 2: The Objective Observer

Imagine you’re an outsider looking at the design for the first time:

  1. What would this person’s first impression be?
  2. How would they describe the design to someone else?
  3. What emotions or associations might this design evoke for them?

This exercise helps you step outside your personal perspective and view the design more objectively.

The Role of Personal Preference

While personal preferences shouldn’t dictate design decisions, they shouldn’t be entirely discounted either. The key is to understand when and how to apply them.

Exercise 3: The Preference Scale

For each element of the design:

  1. Rate your personal preference on a scale of 1-10
  2. Rate how well it aligns with brand strategy on a scale of 1-10
  3. Compare the two scores. If there’s a significant discrepancy, it’s worth discussing with your agency

This exercise helps prioritize strategic fit over personal taste while still acknowledging your preferences.

Preparing for Feedback: A Checklist

Before providing feedback to your agency, consider this checklist:

  • Have I reviewed the project brief and objectives?
  • Am I clear on our target audience and their preferences?
  • Have I considered current industry trends and competitor landscapes?
  • Can I articulate the reasoning behind my feedback?
  • Am I open to hearing the agency’s perspective?

A Real-World Lesson

At Obsessed Agency, we recently worked with an event company on their brand identity. Initially, the client was adamant about using a minimalist, monochrome palette, based on their personal aesthetic preferences. However, through our collaborative process and exercises similar to those outlined above, we helped them realize that a more vibrant, dynamic identity would better resonate with their young, energetic target audience.

The result? A bold, colorful brand that initially made the client uncomfortable but ultimately led to increased engagement and brand recognition. This experience taught us the value of guiding clients through the feedback process, helping them see beyond personal tastes to embrace strategically sound design decisions.

Feedback Is An Art

Providing effective feedback is an art, one that can significantly impact the success of your design projects. By implementing these exercises and approaches, you can ensure that your collaboration with agencies like Obsessed is fruitful and strategic and ultimately leads to designs that not only please you but also resonate with your target audience and achieve your business objectives.

Remember, the goal isn’t to eliminate personal preferences entirely but to contextualize them within the larger strategic framework of your brand. By doing so, you’ll not only get better results from your agency partnerships but also grow in your understanding of strategic design thinking.

At Obsessed Agency, we’re committed to guiding our clients through this process, ensuring that every project benefits from both our expertise and your intimate knowledge of your brand. Together, we can create designs that are not just visually stunning, but strategically brilliant.